Reconfigurable Sports Training Pad System

ABSTRACT

A reconfigurable sports training pad system is designed to be attached to an existing sports goal to increase the accuracy of scoring through muscle memory and positive and negative reinforcements accomplished through repetitive shooting.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

Not Applicable

STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT

Not Applicable

REFERENCE TO SEQUENCE LISTING, A TABLE, OR A COMPUTER PROGRAM LISTING COMPACT DISK APPENDIX

Not Applicable

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

When practicing a sport, most individuals will continually shoot at an empty goal. To be successful in honing their shooting skills, players need to practice shooting on a goal in as close to game situations as possible. The more game-like the shooting practice, the better the overall practice will be for the player's development. Most players find the time to practice on their own in their back yard or nearby park. When practicing shooting on a sports goal, the need for a goalkeeper is vital to ensure the game-like setting. When a player doesn't have the benefit of another player to act as goalkeeper the practice is less than ideal. Players soon become complacent in shooting at self targeted areas and thus fail to develop their full shooting accuracy potential.

When players have no defined target area they quickly become complacent in their self defined scoring target, thus they are prone to rapid deterioration in shooting at a defined area. Most products have a common theme, strike the target not the game goal netting as in a real game. The products on the market today lack the ability to be adjusted to the player's specific needs for the desired outcome of the practice. Several patents have been issued for products that meet some of these needs. Players are in need of constant feedback of their training progress, and will benefit from the immediate feedback, both positive and negative.

In patent USD537489S to McAdams et al., issued February of 2007, the product identifies only four target areas for the player to aim at. These areas are adjustable to a limited set of variables. The targets themselves are just that, targets, in effect by striking them a puck, in this case, is blocked from continuing freely into the goal. While the hanging sets of targets can be moved to several places along the crossbar, there are a limited number of targeted areas the player can select with this device. The targets seemed to be connected with a piece of material that has as it's only purpose, as a connector between the upper and lower targets, thus blocking off areas of the goal that are not deemed a target. These fixed targets, are locked in place and can not be altered to fit all the needs of the player.

In U.S. Pat. No. 6,695,724B2 to Birss, issued February of 2004, this application's theme is to hit something other than the back of the goal netting. The target nets are different in that they are spring loaded and flex back to the designated area for training purposes after being struck by the puck. These movable small goal nets can be relocated to different areas along the hole of the sports goal to fit the needs of the player, but are very limited in their overall flexibility in meeting the varies needs of the player. The puck must still strike the target, not the goal netting, which is what the player wants to practice, in order to be deemed a successful shot for training purposes.

In U.S. Pat. No. 0,214,331A1 to Talafous, issued in September of 2008, magnets have been inserted into the target pad itself, this form of attaching device allows the pad to become dislodged from the goal each time the pad, or target, is struck. The pads become the target of the players aim, not the actual goal itself as in a game situation. When these targets are are struck it causing the player to stop and reset them thus disrupting the normal flow of a game like training session.

In this application, as illustrated in the U.S. Pat. No. 7,811,184B2 to Siefker, issued in October of 2010, the drawing shows the device as an alterable piece of fabric like material that can be folded, in effect, to change the shape of the training device. These alterations are hindered by the need for the fabric like material to be stretched to the goal posts, in order to gain their support from the attaching methods. Said material does not have the ability to keep its shape without being attached or stretched to the goal. The fabric is prone to rapid deterioration due to repeated ball strikes, and tears at the attachment points due to repeated stresses of said strikes. The material has not impact deadening properties, to lesson the bounce back probility, thus causing danger to the players.

With the U.S. Pat. No. 5,634,640 to McCarrel, issued June of 1997, we see the identification of several desirable scoring areas designated by the flags in this application. The training effect is gained by striking the targeted flag which hangs in front of the goal. The fabric pieces hanging down from the cords are limited in their ability to be adjusted to different configuration. The fabric material can be easily affected by winds and deterioration due to ball strikes. The cords are exposed to possible ball strikes that may cause confusion as to whether the target or the cord as struck with the shot.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

A reconfigurable sports training pad system is designed to improve an individual's scoring accuracy. This is accomplished through repetitive shooting at specified targeted scoring areas which are deemed to have the highest probability of scoring. The targeted scoring areas are created by effectively blocking off non-targeted areas of an existing goal, while allowing scoring to be accomplished only in the specific targeted scoring areas. Success is accomplished through muscle memory and repetitive scoring in the defined targeted areas.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWING

FIG. 1: is a forward perspective view of the invention 10.

FIG. 2: is a rear perspective view of the invention 10.

FIG. 3: is a rear perspective view of the invention 10 omitting component 48 envelope for illustrative clarity.

FIG. 4: is a rear perspective detail view of the invention 10 omitting component 48 envelope for illustrative clarity.

FIG. 5: is a forward perspective view of the invention 10 component 60 half-bar support assembly only.

FIG. 6: is a rear perspective view of the invention 10 component 60 half-bar support assembly only.

FIG. 7: is a perspective view of the invention 10 component 44 hanger support only.

FIG. 8: is an exploded view of the invention 10 and omitting multiple components for illustrative clarity.

FIG. 9: is a perspective view of the invention 10 component 46 small attaching device only.

FIG. 10: is a perspective view of the invention 10 component 32 large attaching device only.

FIG. 11: is a front view of an alternate embodiment of the invention 10 component 58 full-bar support assembly only.

FIG. 12: is a detail section view of the invention 10 along line 12-12 in FIG. 2.

FIG. 13: is a front view of an alternate embodiment of the invention 10 component 70 expandable-bar support assembly only.

FIG. 14: is a rear view of an alternate embodiment of the invention 10.

FIG. 15 is a rear view of an alternate embodiment of the invention 10.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

A sports pad 56 is constructed of three major parts, the envelope 48, the rigid backing insert 40, and the impact absorbing insert 38, as illustrated in FIG. 1, 3, 8, and 12. FIG. 8 shows the impact absorbing insert 38 that is a material that can withstand repeated impacts, and has the ability to retain its shape without rapid deterioration. The impact absorbing insert 38 has the ability to be configured in a variety of shapes and sizes. FIGS. 3, 8, and 12 the rigid backing insert 40 is constructed of a rigid material that can be assembled in various ways, not limited to welding and or fastening together with nuts, and bolts, to provide support and overall shape for said sports pad 56. The third member of the sports pad assembly is the envelope 48, which is a sewable, tear resistant material that has pass-thru holes 50, 52 for the attaching devices to join the said pad system to the half-bar support assembly. The small attaching device 46 and the hanger support 44 are attached to the rigid backing insert 40 and are located to provide stable support of said sports pad 56. These parts are protruding thru the envelope 48 when the parts pass thru holes 50, and 52 are properly aligned. The parts pass-thru holes 50, and 52 have reinforced stitching 54 to provide additional tear resistance. The envelope 48 is sealed by the use of the envelope flap 68 and is held closed with the use of a hook and loop fastening system 64. FIG. 7 illustrates the hanger support 44 that attaches to the rigid backing insert 40. FIG. 9 illustrates the small attaching device 46 that also attaches to the rigid back insert 40, to provide addition support for the said pad system. The rigid backing insert 40 with the hanger supports 44 and small attaching devices 46 affixed, is designed to be inserted into the envelope 48 along with the impact absorbing insert 38, making sure the parts pass-thru holes 50. and 52, are properly aligned. FIGS. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, and 8; illustrate the half bar support structure 60. The primary components of the half bar support structure 60 are listed as follows. The S-bracket 14 acts as the connector between the sports goal 12 and the half-bar support structure 60 through the use of the large attaching devices 32, FIG. 4. The tube 42 connects the s-bracket 14 to the connector bar 36 and is reinforced by the spreader bar 34, FIG. 3. The connector bar 32 also acts to allow a second half bar support structure 38 to be connected to the first half bar support structure 60.

In FIG. 7, the said pad system 10 is attached to a sports goal 12 in different configurations, meeting the changing needs of the player. Said pad system 10 can be moved to different areas on a sports goal 12 that have the highest probability of scoring. Sports pads 56 are not limited in size or shape and can be constructed to meet specific needs of the player.

In FIGS. 11, 13-15 addition embodiments are illustrated. The full bar support structure 58, FIGS. 11, and 13 may be constructed as a one or four piece unit. The full bar support system 58 may also be constructed as a two piece unit, FIG. 15. The sports pad 56 may be constructed in a variety on shapes and sizes to meet the needs of the player, FIGS. 14, and 15.

DESCRIPTION LIST

-   10: is the overall invention. -   12: is the goal. -   14: is the s-bracket. -   16: is the connector bar hole. -   18: is the s-bracket hole -   20: is the hanger support hole. -   22: is the hanger support/rigid back insert mate hole. -   24: is the rigid back insert hole. -   26: is the large attaching device hole. -   28: is the small attaching device hole. -   30: is the small attaching device hole/rigid back insert mate hole. -   32: is the large attaching device -   34: is the spreader bar. -   36: is the connector bar. -   38: is the impact absorbing insert. -   40: is the rigid back insert. -   42: is the tube. -   44: is the hanger support. -   46: is the small attaching device. -   48: is the envelope -   50: is the hanger support pass-through envelope hole. -   52: is the small attaching device pass-through envelope hole. -   54: is the reinforcing stitching. -   56: is the sports pad. -   58: is the full-bar support assembly. -   60: is the half-bar support assembly. -   62: is the spreader tube. -   64: is the hook and loop fastener. -   68: is the envelope flap. -   70: is the expandable-bar support assembly. -   Note: Fasteners are intentionally omitted from all views for     illustrative clarity and are assumed, by those knowledgeable in the     arts, as obvious and necessary but nondisplayed features for use in     fastening invention 10 components together. 

We claim:
 1. The reconfigurable sports training pad system comprising of: a pad of varying shapes and sizes, consisting of a rigid back insert, an impact absorbing insert, enclosed in an envelope of variable sizes and shapes; and a bar support structure consisting of varying sizes, shapes, including singular or multiple pieces.
 2. The invention of claim 1 wherein the pad is attached to the bar support structure thru varies uses of attaching devices.
 3. The invention of claim 2 wherein the bar support structure acts to hold the pad in varies positions on an existing goal structure.
 4. The invention of claim 3 wherein the bar support structure attaches to the sports goal including varies uses of attaching devices, and can easily be removed and replaced on any part of an existing goal structure. 